Vehicle direction signal



Feb. 20, 1940.

F. VASARHELY VEHICLE DIRECTION S IGNAL Filed April 19, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IEEIQZ.

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Zhwcntor Fran/r l/ sarbe/y (Ittorneg Fell 1940. F. VASARHELY 9 ,001

VEHICLE DIRECTION S IGNAL Filed April 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /3 m y30 Q ma /U Z3 /4 r /8 3 Z2 25 i9! ,7

9 I 8 -45 4 Snventor Fro/7A Vasorhe/y Bu (,3 g; a 2 t attorney PatentedFeb. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE DIRECTION SIGNAL FrankVasarhely, Cleveland, Ohio Application April 19,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a vehicle signaling device and in particular tothat type of device which serves to warn all traffic at the rear whenthe vehicle, upon which it is installed, turns to the right, left orstops.

The main object of the device is to provide a simple structure thatconsists of directional symbols and a means for operating said symbols.

Another object is to provide a switch device which may be mounted on thedash, steering wheel or post, and which operates the shutters inside ofthe illuminated directional symbol housing to signal the desired turn orstop.

These and other objects and advantages may be readily seen and notedfrom the following specification and its accompanying illustrations, inwhich:

Fig. l is a front view of the directional symbol housing indicating aleft turn.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the inside of the housing with the coverremoved.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but indicating a right turn.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the device with the 25 lamp box in section.

Fig. 5 is a section on lines 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation partly in section of one of the shutters,contact and magnet, in the closed position.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal section of the directional switch.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9--9 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary front elevation of an 35 instrument boardshowing the directional switch mounted thereon.

Fig. 11, a diagrammatic wiring system.

Again. referring to the illustrations, a directional symbol housing isindicated at I ii and is substantially of a rectangular shape with therear corners beveled as shown in Fig. 2.

A darkened glass l2 has transparent insignia l2a thereon substantiallyin the middle thereof, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and is mountedwithin a frame portion I3 in the front face of the housing H).

A reflector I4 of a concave shape is secured within the housing l0rearward of the glass l2, and is secured to the housing, by welding orthe like, at approximately three points, the center point Ma of theconcave surface being secured to the rear inner wall of the housing I 0,while the bent outer ends Nb of the reflector are secured to the innersurface of the front wall of the housing adjacent the ends of the glassI2.

1939, Serial No. 268,713

The bent ends 14b form a retaining wall for the glass l2 which fitswithin insulated channels IS in the groove formed by the extended frontportion l3 of the housing l0 and thebent ends [41) of the reflector I4.

Ears l6 and H project forwardly from the top and bottom edge of thereflector I4 adjacent the bent ends Mb, and a pair of pivot spindles l8and H! are mounted therebetween in a vertical position as shown in Fig.6, the ears being pressed down upon the spindle points.

Shutters 2|] and 2| of a non-magnetic material are pivotally mounted onthe spindles l8 and I9, respectively, the split curved ends 22encircling the spindles at the top and bottom. V shaped portions 20a and2m are cut in the outer edge of said shutters.

Contact arms 23 and 24 are secured around the spindles at the centerthereof between the split curved ends 22 of the shutters 20 and 2|.

A pair of magnets 25 and 26 are mounted rearward of the reflector I4,and secured thereto, the forward portions of the magnets projectingthrough slotted apertures 21 in said reflector.

A lamp housing 28 is mounted below the middle of the directional symbolhousing H] and secured thereto by bolts 29; and a lamp 30 is mounted ina socket 3| within the housing 28 and enga es a contact spring 32secured in said housing.

Ears 33 bent inwardly from the top edge of the housing Ill provide meanswhereby a cover 34 may be mounted over said housing and secured by bolts35 through the ears 33.

A switch 36 consisting of a pivotal top portion 31 and a stationarybottom portion '38 may be mounted on the instrument board 39 as shown inFig. 10 or on any suitable place.

The pivotal top portion 31 is secured to a hollow shaft mounting 40 by abolt 4| projecting through a bore 42 in said top portion 37 and screwedinto the shouldered portion 40a which extends within an aperture 31a inthe top portion.

A copper or brass contact plate 43 is mounted in a recess 44 in the topportion 31 adjacent to a contact post 45 secured therein; a stop 46 isjournaled in the top portion 31 near the bottom thereof and engages aloop 41 in a double spring 48 mounted in a slotted recess 49 in thestationary bottom portion 38 and projects downwardly within a smallerslotted recess 50.

A contact post 5| has a spring 52 mounted therebelow to keep the contactconstant when the top and bottom portions 31 and 38 are assembled.

A pair of contact terminals 53 and 54 of stainless steel or the like,are respectively for controlling the left and right shutters 20 and 2!and are mounted on the stationary bottom portion on opposed sidesthereof with a light breaker contact at the top and between saidcontacts Thus when assembled the pivoting top 31 be turned right or leftto give a right or left turning signal, and the contact post 45 inthetop portion 31 engages either the right shutter contact 54 or theleft shutter contact 53 which closes the circuitthrough the magnet 25or.26 which causes the shutter 20 or 2| as the case may be, to close,and the contact points of the contact arms 23 or 24 thus contactthemagnet 25 or 26 and the lamp 30 lights, illuminating the symbol in onthe glass l2, the left shutter closing for a left turn and the rightshutter 2| for a right turn.

Thin clock springs 10 are secured to the refiector I 4 by rivets H atone end, the opposite end is pivotally secured through an eye 12 in aspring bracket 13 to the shutters 20,and 2|, as illustrated in Fig. 2.Said springs 10 actuate the shutters as the contacts open and close.

The action of the shutter in closing causes the covering of part ofthesymbollZa, and the V out in the shutter forms an arrow point bypermitting the illumination of only that part of the symbol not coveredby the shutter.

An angular license mounting having slots GI and 62 therein may besecured to the housing It] by bolts 63.

This device may also be secured to the gear shift post 64 by a set screw65 as shown in Fig. 7.

I-Claim: 1. A direction signal comprising a horizontally elongatedhousing having a face plate with a transparent direction arrow-shapedmark thereon, a concave reflector extending from end to end within thehousing, a shutter pivotally mounted .between each. end of the reflectorand h the face plate and adapted to swing from and.

toward the latter to change the appearance of the corresponding end ofthe mark, an electromagnet disposed in each end of the housing behindthe reflector and operatively'controlling' the shutter, and switch meanstooperate the mag nets respectively, the axis of the shutter pivotextending vertically'pa'rallel to the plane of the reflector and thepivot being provided with a contact arm extending behind the reflectorto a position in, line with and opposite to the axis of the magnet. I

2; A direction signal as in claim 1, the end of the reflector beingslotted and the contact arm extending through said slot.

,YFRANK VASARHELY.

